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Judgment on Wicked Counselors

11 The spirit lifted me up and brought me to the east gate of the house of the Lord, which faces east. There, at the entrance of the gateway, were twenty-five men; among them I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, officials of the people.(A) He said to me, “Mortal, these are the men who devise iniquity and who give wicked counsel in this city;(B) they say, ‘The time is not near to build houses; this city is the pot, and we are the meat.’(C) Therefore prophesy against them; prophesy, O mortal.”(D)

Then the spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and he said to me, “Say, Thus says the Lord: This is what you think, O house of Israel; I know the things that come into your mind.(E) You have killed many in this city and have filled its streets with the slain.(F) Therefore thus says the Lord God: The slain whom you have placed within it are the meat, and this city is the pot, but you shall be taken out of it.(G) You have feared the sword, and I will bring the sword upon you, says the Lord God. I will take you out of it and give you over to the hands of foreigners and execute judgments upon you.(H) 10 You shall fall by the sword; I will judge you at the border of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord.(I) 11 This city shall not be your pot, and you shall not be the meat inside it; I will judge you at the border of Israel. 12 Then you shall know that I am the Lord, whose statutes you have not followed and whose ordinances you have not kept, but you have acted according to the ordinances of the nations that are around you.”(J)

13 Now, while I was prophesying, Pelatiah son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord God! You are finishing off the remnant of Israel!”(K)

God Will Restore Israel

14 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 15 Mortal, your kinsfolk, your own kin, your fellow exiles,[a] the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, “Stay far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.”(L) 16 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far away among the nations and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a little while[b] in the countries where they have gone.(M) 17 Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.(N) 18 When they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.(O) 19 I will give them one heart and put a new spirit within them;[c] I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,(P) 20 so that they may follow my statutes and keep my ordinances and obey them. Then they shall be my people, and I will be their God.(Q) 21 But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations,[d] I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, says the Lord God.(R)

22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.(S) 23 And the glory of the Lord ascended from the middle of the city and stopped on the mountain east of the city.(T) 24 The spirit lifted me up and brought me in a vision by the spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen left me. 25 And I told the exiles all the things that the Lord had shown me.

Judah’s Captivity Portrayed

12 The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, you are living in the midst of a rebellious house who have eyes to see but do not see, who have ears to hear but do not hear,(U) for they are a rebellious house. Therefore, mortal, prepare for yourself an exile’s baggage, and go into exile by day in their sight; you shall go like an exile from your place to another place in their sight. Perhaps they will understand, though they are a rebellious house.(V) You shall bring out your baggage by day in their sight, as baggage for exile, and you shall go out yourself at evening in their sight, as those do who go into exile.(W) Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry the baggage through it. In their sight you shall lift the baggage on your shoulder and carry it out in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.(X)

I did just as I was commanded. I brought out my baggage by day, as baggage for exile, and in the evening I dug through the wall with my own hands; I brought it out in the dark, carrying it on my shoulder in their sight.

In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, “What are you doing?”(Y) 10 Say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns the prince in Jerusalem[e] and all the house of Israel in it.”[f](Z) 11 Say, “I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.”(AA) 12 And the prince who is among them shall lift his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and shall go out; he[g] shall dig through the wall and carry it through; he shall cover his face so that he may not see the land with his eyes.(AB) 13 I will spread my net over him, and he shall be caught in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and he shall die there.(AC) 14 I will scatter to every wind all who are around him, his helpers and all his troops, and I will unsheathe the sword behind them.(AD) 15 And they shall know that I am the Lord when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them through the countries.(AE) 16 But I will let a few of them escape from the sword, from famine and pestilence, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations where they go; then they shall know that I am the Lord.(AF)

Judgment Not Postponed

17 The word of the Lord came to me: 18 Mortal, eat your bread with quaking and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness; 19 and say to the people of the land: “Thus says the Lord God concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness and drink their water in dismay, because their land shall be stripped of all it contains, on account of the violence of all those who live in it.(AG) 20 The inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall become a desolation, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”(AH)

21 The word of the Lord came to me: 22 Mortal, what is this proverb of yours about the land of Israel that says, “The days are prolonged, and every vision comes to nothing”?(AI) 23 Tell them therefore, “Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they shall use it no more as a proverb in Israel.” But say to them: “The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision.(AJ) 24 For there shall no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel.(AK) 25 But I the Lord will speak the word that I speak, and it will be fulfilled. It will no longer be delayed, but in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak the word and fulfill it, says the Lord God.”(AL)

26 The word of the Lord came to me: 27 Mortal, the house of Israel is saying, “The vision that he sees is for many years ahead; he prophesies for distant times.”(AM) 28 Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord God: None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that I speak will be fulfilled, says the Lord God.”(AN)

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: Mortal, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are prophesying; say to those who prophesy out of their own imaginations: “Hear the word of the Lord!”(AO) Thus says the Lord God: Alas for the senseless prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!(AP) Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel. You have not gone up into the breaches or repaired a wall for the house of Israel, so that it might stand in battle on the day of the Lord.(AQ) They have envisioned falsehood and lying divination; they say, “Says the Lord,” when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they wait for the fulfillment of their word!(AR) Have you not seen a false vision or uttered a lying divination when you have said, “Says the Lord,” even though I did not speak?

Therefore thus says the Lord God: Because you have uttered falsehood and envisioned lies, I am against you, says the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations; they shall not be in the council of my people nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the Lord God.(AS) 10 Because, in truth, because they have misled my people, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a flimsy wall, these prophets[h] smear whitewash on it.(AT) 11 Say to those who smear whitewash on it that it shall fall. There will be a deluge of rain,[i] great hailstones will fall, and a stormy wind will break out.(AU) 12 When the wall falls, will it not be said to you, “Where is the whitewash you smeared on it?” 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: In my wrath I will make a stormy wind break out, and in my anger there shall be a deluge of rain and hailstones in wrath to destroy it. 14 I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash and bring it to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare; when the city falls, you shall perish within it, and you shall know that I am the Lord.(AV) 15 Thus I will spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, “The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it— 16 the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for it when there was no peace, says the Lord God.”(AW)

17 As for you, mortal, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imaginations; prophesy against them(AX) 18 and say: Thus says the Lord God: Woe to the women who sew bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every height, in the hunt for lives! Will you hunt down lives among my people and maintain your own lives?(AY) 19 You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, putting to death those who should not die and keeping alive those who should not live, by your lies to my people, who listen to lies.(AZ)

20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I am against your bands with which you hunt lives;[j] I will tear them from your arms and let the lives go free, the lives that you hunt down like birds. 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands; they shall no longer be prey in your hands, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 22 Because you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not disheartened them, and you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their wicked way and save their lives,(BA) 23 therefore you shall no longer see false visions or practice divination; I will save my people from your hand. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(BB)

Footnotes

  1. 11.15 Gk Syr: Heb people of your kindred
  2. 11.16 Or a little sanctuary
  3. 11.19 Heb mss Gk Syr Vg: MT you
  4. 11.21 Cn: Heb And to the heart of their detestable things and their abominations their heart goes
  5. 12.10 Tg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  6. 12.10 Heb in them
  7. 12.12 Gk Syr: Heb they
  8. 13.10 Heb they
  9. 13.11 Heb rain and you
  10. 13.20 Gk Syr: Heb lives for birds

God’s Sure Judgment on Jerusalem

11 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house of the Lord that faces east. There at the entrance of the gate were twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah(A) son of Benaiah, leaders(B) of the people.(C) The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil(D) and giving wicked advice in this city.(E) They say, ‘Haven’t our houses been recently rebuilt? This city is a pot,(F) and we are the meat in it.’(G) Therefore prophesy(H) against them; prophesy, son of man.”

Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me, and he told me to say: “This is what the Lord says: That is what you are saying, you leaders in Israel, but I know what is going through your mind.(I) You have killed many people in this city and filled its streets with the dead.(J)

“Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The bodies you have thrown there are the meat and this city is the pot,(K) but I will drive you out of it.(L) You fear the sword,(M) and the sword is what I will bring against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.(N) I will drive you out of the city and deliver you into the hands(O) of foreigners and inflict punishment on you.(P) 10 You will fall by the sword, and I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel.(Q) Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11 This city will not be a pot(R) for you, nor will you be the meat in it; I will execute judgment on you at the borders of Israel. 12 And you will know that I am the Lord,(S) for you have not followed my decrees(T) or kept my laws but have conformed to the standards of the nations around you.(U)

13 Now as I was prophesying, Pelatiah(V) son of Benaiah died. Then I fell facedown and cried out in a loud voice, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! Will you completely destroy the remnant of Israel?(W)

The Promise of Israel’s Return

14 The word of the Lord came to me: 15 “Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have said of your fellow exiles and all the other Israelites, ‘They are far away from the Lord; this land was given to us as our possession.’(X)

16 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary(Y) for them in the countries where they have gone.’

17 “Therefore say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.’(Z)

18 “They will return to it and remove all its vile images(AA) and detestable idols.(AB) 19 I will give them an undivided heart(AC) and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone(AD) and give them a heart of flesh.(AE) 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.(AF) They will be my people,(AG) and I will be their God.(AH) 21 But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their vile images and detestable idols,(AI) I will bring down on their own heads what they have done, declares the Sovereign Lord.(AJ)

22 Then the cherubim, with the wheels beside them, spread their wings, and the glory(AK) of the God of Israel was above them.(AL) 23 The glory(AM) of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain(AN) east of it. 24 The Spirit(AO) lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia[a] in the vision(AP) given by the Spirit of God.

Then the vision I had seen went up from me, 25 and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.(AQ)

The Exile Symbolized

12 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people.(AR) They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.(AS)

“Therefore, son of man, pack your belongings for exile and in the daytime, as they watch, set out and go from where you are to another place. Perhaps(AT) they will understand,(AU) though they are a rebellious people.(AV) During the daytime, while they watch, bring out your belongings packed for exile. Then in the evening, while they are watching, go out like those who go into exile.(AW) While they watch, dig through the wall(AX) and take your belongings out through it. Put them on your shoulder as they are watching and carry them out at dusk. Cover your face so that you cannot see the land, for I have made you a sign(AY) to the Israelites.”

So I did as I was commanded.(AZ) During the day I brought out my things packed for exile. Then in the evening I dug through the wall with my hands. I took my belongings out at dusk, carrying them on my shoulders while they watched.

In the morning the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, did not the Israelites, that rebellious people, ask you, ‘What are you doing?’(BA)

10 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: This prophecy concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the Israelites who are there.’ 11 Say to them, ‘I am a sign(BB) to you.’

“As I have done, so it will be done to them. They will go into exile as captives.(BC)

12 “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk(BD) and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land.(BE) 13 I will spread my net(BF) for him, and he will be caught in my snare;(BG) I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans,(BH) but he will not see(BI) it, and there he will die.(BJ) 14 I will scatter to the winds all those around him—his staff and all his troops—and I will pursue them with drawn sword.(BK)

15 “They will know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations(BL) and scatter them through the countries. 16 But I will spare a few of them from the sword, famine and plague, so that in the nations where they go they may acknowledge all their detestable practices. Then they will know that I am the Lord.(BM)

17 The word of the Lord came to me: 18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food,(BN) and shudder in fear as you drink your water. 19 Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything(BO) in it because of the violence of all who live there.(BP) 20 The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(BQ)’”

There Will Be No Delay

21 The word of the Lord came to me: 22 “Son of man, what is this proverb(BR) you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?(BS) 23 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near(BT) when every vision will be fulfilled.(BU) 24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations(BV) among the people of Israel. 25 But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay.(BW) For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill(BX) whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.(BY)’”

26 The word of the Lord came to me: 27 “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’(BZ)

28 “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

False Prophets Condemned

13 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets(CA) of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination:(CB) ‘Hear the word of the Lord!(CC) This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish[b] prophets(CD) who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!(CE) Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins. You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair(CF) it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.(CG) Their visions are false(CH) and their divinations a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent(CI) them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.(CJ) Have you not seen false visions(CK) and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares,” though I have not spoken?

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words and lying visions, I am against you,(CL) declares the Sovereign Lord. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying(CM) divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records(CN) of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.(CO)

10 “‘Because they lead my people astray,(CP) saying, “Peace,”(CQ) when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash,(CR) 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones(CS) hurtling down,(CT) and violent winds will burst forth.(CU) 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the whitewash you covered it with?”

13 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones(CV) and torrents of rain(CW) will fall with destructive fury.(CX) 14 I will tear down the wall(CY) you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation(CZ) will be laid bare. When it[c] falls,(DA) you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. 15 So I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.(DB)”’

17 “Now, son of man, set your face(DC) against the daughters(DD) of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them(DE) 18 and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own? 19 You have profaned(DF) me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread.(DG) By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.(DH)

20 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.(DI) 21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.(DJ) 22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies,(DK) when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,(DL) 23 therefore you will no longer see false visions(DM) or practice divination.(DN) I will save(DO) my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord.(DP)’”

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 11:24 Or Chaldea
  2. Ezekiel 13:3 Or wicked
  3. Ezekiel 13:14 Or the city

11 Moreover the spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold at the door of the gate five and twenty men; among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in this city:

Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.

Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man.

And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the Lord; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord God.

And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments among you.

10 Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:

12 And ye shall know that I am the Lord: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?

14 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

15 Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the Lord: unto us is this land given in possession.

16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.

17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.

18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

21 But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God.

22 Then did the cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels beside them; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.

23 And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

25 Then I spake unto them of the captivity all the things that the Lord had shewed me.

12 The word of the Lord also came unto me, saying,

Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.

Then shalt thou bring forth thy stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing: and thou shalt go forth at even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.

In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.

And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the even I digged through the wall with mine hand; I brought it forth in the twilight, and I bare it upon my shoulder in their sight.

And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What doest thou?

10 Say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.

11 Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.

12 And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the wall to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

13 My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare: and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

14 And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.

15 And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the nations, and disperse them in the countries.

16 But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the Lord.

17 Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

18 Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with carefulness;

19 And say unto the people of the land, Thus saith the Lord God of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the land of Israel; They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

20 And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

21 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

22 Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?

23 Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.

24 For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

25 For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God.

26 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying.

27 Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.

28 Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God.

13 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord;

Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord.

They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?

Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God.

And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord God.

10 Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:

11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?

13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in my fury to consume it.

14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it;

16 To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.

17 Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

18 And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?

19 And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies?

20 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.

21 Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

23 Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.